BrandonInfo.com

What do you think of the mayor’s choice for police chief? Mayor Larry Beesley announced today he has chosen David Kull, a captain with the Sioux Falls Police Department.

The mayor told me that he narrowed the three finalists down to two and then talked to both of them before he made his choice. “Both of them were extremely interested in the position,” he said.

The City Council will vote to approve or not approve the mayor’s choice during the next regular council meeting, Jan. 7. The council has a planning meeting Thursday. The mayor said the council may talk about the choice that day, “but we don’t take any action at those meetings,” he said.

Kull graduated from Washington High School in 1974, from South Dakota Law Enforcement Academy in 1978 and from the FBI National Academy in 1994.

If the council approves the mayor’s appointment, Kull will begin work in Brandon in late January.

What do you think of the mayor’s choice? Will you contact your council representative to tell him how you’d like him to vote?

What do you look forward to in Brandon in 2008? What resolutions would you like the city, the school, the business community and residents to make?

The end of 2007 is drawing near, so let’s review.

What’s the best thing that happened in Brandon this year? The upgrade of Holly Boulevard perhaps?

What was Brandon’s best investment or expenditure this year? How about the addition of an assistant city administrator?

What’s the best new business that opened in Brandon this year? It wasn’t a new business, but First National Bank’s new building is a nice addition to the corner of Splitrock and Holly boulevards.

What was Brandon’s best event this year? Perhaps the cheer team winning the first-ever state title?

What other “bests” can you name?

What do you think of Pace Manufacturing’s plan to build a production facility in the industrial park on Redwood Boulevard? The company plans to keep running its plant at the corner of South Sioux and Aspen boulevards. That plant, on five acres, was built before all the residential housing sprang up around it.

And if the company ever closes the original plant, what do you think should become of that facility?

Every year for Christmas, I ask to be able to park in the garage, but every year, the garage remains too full of other stuff for my car to fit in it.

I asked for a new printer for my computer this year, and I did get that.

How about you?

Did you get what you wanted for Christmas this year?

Students at all five Brandon Valley schools are collecting money and items to help those less fortunate.

In some cases, the gifts are going overseas, to military personnel. Other gifts are going to Indian reservations in South Dakota. Some gifts will go to Sioux Falls, to the Humane Society and the Food Pantry.

In many cases, though, the gifts and money collected at the schools will remain right here in Brandon Valley. Superintendent David Pappone has said that about 15 percent of students qualify for free and reduced school lunches. That is a much lower percentage than some South Dakota schools, but it is a lot in sheer numbers. According to the Oct. 22, 2007, school board minutes, Brandon Valley has 3,073 students. Fifteen percent of that is 460 students. That doesn’t count preschool siblings and parents who also might be going hungry at home.

Are you surprised at these numbers? What do you think of student giving this holiday season? Should we as a community do more? If so, what?

Bloggers recently have posted a lot of opinions about the city’s new ambulance provider. And no matter if you are happy about the new provider in town, or not happy, the provider is who it is.

My question is, what will you yourself do in the coming year to make our city’s emergency services the best they can be? What will you do in the next five years to help make the city’s emergency services successful?

What can we all do to enhance our city?

What outdoor activities does your family do in the winter?

Last weekend, I photographed a bunch of people on the sledding hill at McHardy Park. I remember one year (when I was much younger) sliding down that hill on an innertube. Someone had built a bump in the snow, and when I hit it, the tube went flying in one direction and I went flying in another.

I bet some folks can’t wait for the snow to fall so they can go to Great Bear to ski, snowboard and tube.

I haven’t heard the roar of snowmobiles traveling down nearby ditches yet, but perhaps once we get a bit more snow, the snow machine enthusiasts will be out and about.

Maybe you have a one-horse open sleigh? Like to build snow sculptures? Ice skate? Head to the lake for a little ice fishing? What is your winter fun of choice?

This week, I have three Christmas parties to go to. One is for Secret Santas at work. One is for a committee I’m on. And one is for a group of friends. In addition, an office committee is having a lunch meeting this week in honor of the holiday.

Wow. Talk about heavy scheduling. This morning, my Sunday school class had a little party. Last Friday, the Argus newsroom had our holiday potluck. Earlier last week, I hosted a Christmas get together for another group I belong to.

Can Christmas parties get out of hand? It can get to be pretty hectic scheduling around all of these celebrations.

There are advantages, however. For example, the get together with friends for dinner later this week is in lieu of gifts. Many of my friends are at a point where our houses are full of stuff, and spending time together is actually more of a treat than opening a package.

I look forward to the get togethers, even if they do crowd the schedule. But how about you? Do you skip some of these celebrations? Do they burn you out during a season when you might like to be more mellow and do some reflection?

What are your thoughts?

According to a story on brandoninfo.com, Med-Star will start taking 911 calls at 7 a.m. Monday.

Of course, we hope they won’t get any calls for a long, long while. We sure don’t want anyone to get sick or injured no matter who takes the calls.

It seems to me like I’ve seen more deer in the ditches and on the road this year than I ever have, especially on Rice Street between Sioux Falls and the Big Sioux River. Have you noticed more deer than usual also?

If so, why do you suppose that is? Are we developing their habitat into homes so much that they are coming out into the open more? Or are there just more of them this year than usual? Or are they getting used to people being around, so they are more bold about where they go?

I’ve never hit a deer, but I know several people who have. Have you ever hit a deer on the road?

Do you know Jeanne Assam? She has been in the news the last couple of days because she shot a gunman at the New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colo., after he entered the church, killed two people and injured others.

Assam is a 1984 graduate of Brandon Valley High School. I looked at that year’s high school yearbook yesterday. Apparently Assam was a member of the German Club and the tennis team. Later, she became a police officer in Minneapolis.

Do you know her? What kind of person is she? Did she want to be a police officer when she was a kid? On Sunday, when she shot the gunman, she was on a three-day religious fast. Was she religious as a kid?

Sam Assam was in high school the same time I was, in the early 1970s. Is he related to Jeanne Assam? If so, how?

What do you think of Jeanna Assam’s actions in the church when the gunman started shooting?

Brandon Valley wrestlers are 1-1 so far this season, with a win over Lennox and a loss to Vermillion. But the Lynx take on Lincoln and O’Gorman on Thursday at Lincoln. How do you think they will do? Will you attend the meet?

Brandon Valley’s first home meet is the Lynx Invite on Jan. 5.

The wrestling squad is led by six seniors this year, with two of them former state place winners. So the team is strong. Coach Jeff Duncanson’s goal is to finish in the top four in the conference this year, and in the top four in the state as well. What are the Lynx’ chances of doing that?

How much of your Christmas shopping do you do in Brandon? Many Brandon businesses offer gift certificates. The Brandon Valley Area Chamber of Commerce offers Brandon Bucks, which can be used at any member business. Will you use those as stocking stuffers?

How much of your Christmas shopping do you do outside of Brandon? Is it for convenience, or because you are looking for items not offered in Brandon? Or some other reason?

Well, the holiday treats are starting to roll into the office, both commercial and homemade. It’s hard to resist the chocolate, cakes and other goodies.

For the past few years, I haven’t done much Christmas baking in December. Seems like there is so much food for the taking that I don’t make anything to keep at home. I’d just eat it.

Trouble is, come January, I remember my favorite Christmas recipes and then decide to make them, if I didn’t get them in December. Many’s a January I gained 10 pounds. Yikes!

Among my favorites are a Velveeta cheese fudge and about anything dipped in white chocolate. Hmm … maybe this year I will dip the fudge in the white chocolate. Never did that before.

What are some of your favorite Christmas goodies? Have you made any of them yet? Will you drop off some at my house?

Have you driven around town to look at the Christmas lights yet? Check out 120 W. Fir St., where the The Lambert family is using 64 channels and 18,000 lights to choreograph a special light show.

What displays in town are your favorites? Any unusual displays? Let us know so we can go take a look.

I remember one year we took some friends in the van and drove around looking at the lights. We played Christmas music and brought along hot cider and cookies. It was festive, except for one street where we got stuck in the snow and had to push ourselves out. I enjoyed it enough to want to do it again

Do you like Chinese food? Will you try out the new Chinese restaurant that is opening on Splitrock Boulevard later this month? It will be called Great Wall.

It is in the same building as McDonalds and Sinclair, et. al.

The polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. today. Will you vote for or against the $23 million school bond issue?

Did you graduate from Brandon Valley High School? Did your spouse or children?

I am a 1975 BVHS graduate. My husband is Class of 1970, and my kids graduated from BVHS in 1996 and 1998.

Do you have kids in the school system now?

The City Council is scheduling a special meeting for Tuesday to interview finalists for the Brandon Police chief job. Do you plan to attend? Mayor Larry Beesley wouldn’t name the three finalists, saying at least one of them hasn’t informed his current employer that he is seeking other work.

The mayor said he wouldn’t make his appointment Tuesday, though, because Alderman Dan Mostek will not be at the meeting due to a work schedule conflict.

“I won’t call for a vote with one council member gone,” he told me. “It’s my appointment
but they have to approve it. So I want all six of them there to approve it,
or disapprove it, however they feel.”

That means Dec. 17, at the regularly-scheduled council meeting, would be the earliest
mayor would make an appointment. “Unless they (council) want a special meeting earlier to do that,” Beesley said.

Beesley, City Administrator Dennis Olson, and Dan Oakland, the city’s human resources director, looked over the original pool of applicants and chose six. They interviewed them and narrowed the field to three men.

The agenda for Tuesday’s meeting calls for roll call and a determination of quorum, then immediately into exeuctive session.